If you’re a car wash and polish owner/operator in California, your business must be bonded before you can work in the state.

According to California Labor Code section 2051 (a), “‘car washing and polishing’ means washing, cleaning, drying, polishing, detailing, servicing, or otherwise providing cosmetic care to vehicles.” If you offer these services to customers, you must adhere to the following state regulations to get your car wash business up and running.

• You must register with the Labor Commissioner.
• You must pay the $300 annual registration fee for each branch location as required by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
• You must submit the required documentation, including:
  • a completed application form DLSE 666
  • a valid workers’ compensation insurance certificate or a copy of the certificate from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations
  • proof of compliance with the local government’s business licensing or regional regulatory requirements
  • a completed Internal Revenue Service form 8821 submitted to the IRS Compliance Verification Group
• New applicants must file a $15,000 California car wash surety bond, and renewal applicants must have a surety bond in place and continuous.

Click here to download the California car wash bond form.

For the full list of documents needed for both new and renewal applicants, contact the Department of Industrial Relations in San Francisco.

To purchase or renew your California car wash surety bond, contact a surety specialist online or by phone at 1 (800) 308-4358. Standard license and permit bond rates apply for California car wash bonds, so applicants with good credit can expect to pay 1-5% of the bond amount, which means a premium between $150 and $750 for a $15,000 bond.

Don’t let a poor credit score stop you from getting the bond you need! SuretyBonds.com works with several underwriting markets and will work hard to get you the best bond rate possible — regardless of credit.

Once your payment has been received, we’ll mail your bond according to your shipping preferences. By choosing overnight shipping, you can even have your bond by the next business day.